The Shark Blog

With NFL action
winding down, many fantasy addicts will be turning to the NHL.Read on to get a jump on some trends before
setting your rosters this weekend.

Who's Hot

Alex Ovechkin (WAS)

#8 is finally
shaking off the cobwebs and putting the puck in the net.He has 6 goals in the last 5 games and a
total of 11 points on a recent 7 game scoring streak.It's safe to make him a regular once more on
your Fanduel lineup.He's still
lingering just under 8k, but that won't last long.

Blake Wheeler (WPG)

Despite being
separated from sniper Evander Kane on the top line, Wheeler continues to
produce for the Jets.He has 9 points in
his last 7 games and remains a bargain on Fanduel.

John Tavares (NYI)

The Islanders are
showing signs of life in early January, thanks in large part to the performance
of J.T.His last three games have
featured multiple points, giving him 7 points in the past week.He's proven himself to be one of the
streakiest players in the league, so climb on board while the going's good.

Steve Downie (TB)

One way or another,
Downie is generating fantasy points.After posting 7 points in 3 games, he was held scoreless on Sunday;
however, he managed to put up 20, yes 20, penalty minutes that night.Playing sidekick to St. Louis and Stamkos is
a recipe for fantasy success.

Eric Staal (CAR)

Signs of life from
the Captain in Carolina.After a six
game scoreless streak, he showed up with a three point game against Toronto and
followed that up with 2 points versus the Lightning.He's an attractive center option who remains
undervalued on Fanduel.

Dion Phaneuf (D-TOR)

Phaneuf continues to
make his case for the Norris Trophy this season, and he's been a fantasy
workhorse lately.The Toronto defenseman
has 5 points in his last 3 games, and 8 in his last 7.He's also piling up the shots on goal,
averaging 5+ a game over the past two weeks.

Tomas Vokoun (G-WAS)

First he was
forgotten, now he's unstoppable.After a
5-game stint on the bench, Vokoun has responded in fine fashion, going 4-0 with
a 1.25 GAA over that stretch.He's
officially out of Hunter's doghouse.

Evgeni Nabokov (G-NYI)

If you were bold
enough to take a chance on the low-priced Nabokov this past week, you probably
cashed in.He's gone 3-0 with a 1.62 GAA
over this past week.

Who's Cold

Danny Briere (PHI)

While the top line
in Philly is pulling its weight, Briere has been MIA.He hasn't scored a point since Dec. 19th and
has just 1 in the last nine games.

Milan Michalek (OTT)

Michalek once led
the league in goals this season, then came the five game concussion
hiatus.Since that time, he just hasn't
been the same player.He has just a
single assist and no goals in the last five games.He didn't even register a shot against Tampa
last night.

Derek Stepan (NYR)

After a fantastic
run in December, things have slowed down considerably for Stepan.He just registered an assist last night to
break a four game scoreless streak.

Corey Perry (ANA)

Nothing outside of
Selanne is working in Anaheim this season.Even last year's MVP has hit the wall.He has just 1 point in his last 5 games.

Brent Burns (D-SJ)

The last six games
have netted zero points and a -3 rating for Burns on the Sharks defense.

Mikka Kiprusoff (G-CGY)

Kiprusoff hasn't won
a game in his last 4 appearances and is averaging 3+ goals against over that
stretch.The Flames are back on the
downward spiral.

Who's Hurt

Brad Marchand (BOS) - missed
the romp in Calgary last night with the flu

Rene Bourque (CGY) - not
hurt, but won't be playing for 5 games, thanks to the ruling from Shanahan

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM) -
will miss a month with a shoulder injury

Slava Voynov (D-LA) - missed
last night's game with an upper body injury

Here are some guys
currently undervalued on Fanduel that you should cash in on in the short term:

Evgeni Nabokov (G-NYI) - $5,600

(see above)

Erik Karlsson (D-OTT) - $6,600

I rarely endorse a
defenseman in this price range, but Karlsson is in another universe right now
for Ottawa.At least one of those Ottawa
All-Star berths were merited.

Nazem Kadri (C-TOR) - $4,300

Since finding his
way back from the minors, Kadri has done his fair share with limited playing
time.If he can earn a few more minutes
on one of the top lines, we might see some serious production from the young
center.

Jiri Hudler (LW-DET) - $5,300

Hudler is heating up
with 3 goals in the past two games.You'll be hard pressed to find better value on the wing than Hudler at
this salary right now.

Michael Ryder (RW-DAL) - $6,200

Ryder just can't get
any respect from the salary setters at Fanduel this season.Despite sitting at 17 goals for the year, he
remains value-priced.He has 12 points
in the last 10 games.

P.A. Parenteau (RW-NYI) - $5,900

He's bouncing around
between lines on the Island, but continues to produce.He's registered 8 points in the last 7 games.